The Question Of Grace And The Mechanics Of Salvation

I've been working on a scripture reading challenge to read all the standard works in one year, and let me say, it has been amazing! The enlightenment that comes is so astounding, things you didn't even know you were confused about or even wondered about, suddenly seem so clear. I truly have a deeper and stronger testimony in the power of the scriptures in my life.

 

Anyway, I just finished writing this short article (mainly for my own benefit) about the mechanics of grace and salvation. This article is the result of a truly wonderful epiphany I recently had while studying the scriptures. Really, it was like - LIGHT BULB!!! LIGHT BULB!!! I was sitting in McDonalds reading while the kids were playing, and I had to quickly dig through my purse and tear up an old grocery list, just so I could have some paper to write down a few notes on everything that was flooding into my mind. (Didn't want to totally copy J.K. and use napkins, LOL!) 

Later I took my time to really compose my thoughts, and this article is the result. I'm so happy and amazed with what I've figured out, I want to share it with everyone! :) 

Enjoy!

The Question Of Grace And The Mechanics Of Salvation

Are we saved by grace or works? It can be a confusing question for Mormons, and most will say we're saved by both. The fact of the matter is we are saved through the redemptive power of the atonement of Jesus Christ. We are saved by his grace offered to us through his great and eternal sacrifice. The real question is - how do we receive that grace?

2 Nephi 25:23

"For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do."

The phrase "after all we can do" is, unfortunately, the main cause of confusion for many Mormons regarding the question of grace and salvation. The prophet Nephi states very clearly that we are saved by the grace of God, but it comes after our works. How is that? Do we earn grace by how great our works are, or how many good works we do? The answer is no.

Ephesians 2:8

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast."

This verse clarifies the actual mechanics of salvation through grace. We are saved by grace through faith, not through our works. We must have faith in Jesus Christ to receive salvation through his grace. So how do you account for the necessary works mentioned in 2 Nephi 25? Do you receive grace solely by a faithful belief in Christ?

Hebrews 11:6

"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

This verse brings together the importance of both our faith and our works. We cannot receive grace unless we have faith in God, but our faith has to compel us to diligently seek God (works) in addition to believe in Him. The reward (grace) comes from diligently seeking (works), and the diligently seeking (works) comes from our faith. So how are we actually being saved by grace, through our faith or our works? The answer is...both!

Luke 17:7-10

" But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink? Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do."

The parable of the unprofitable servant teaches that our works alone profit God nothing and do not give us any advantage in God's eyes. It is solely our duty to serve God. Works alone do not bring salvation.

James 2:17

"Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone."

Faith alone does not bring salvation either.  It is good for nothing unless we do something with it. 

So let's recap - we receive salvation through the grace of God, because of the redeeming atonement of Jesus Christ. But this grace cannot be received through faith alone, and it cannot be received through works alone. It must be received through a combination of our faith and works together. As Hebrews 11:6 states, we must be believing and diligently seeking. But then the parable of the unprofitable servant shows that no matter how great, wonderful, and plenteous our works are, it doesn't really matter either. Just the fact that our faith produces good works is the essential point.

The next question is, Why does our faith need to produce works?

Abraham 3:25

"And there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell; and we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them; and they who keep their first estate shall be added upon; and they who keep not their first estate shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who keep their first estate; and they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever."

The purpose of our earthly life is to prove ourselves faithful, by giving actual physical evidence, or proof, of our faith. God does not send us to earth to see if we will believe his commandments, but if we will do them. If God didn't want physical proof of our faith in Him, he wouldn't give us physical bodies. We could express our faith in him through our spirits alone, which I'm sure we did abundantly in our pre-earth life. Also, remember Hebrews 11:6 – it won't matter if we keep the commandments in this life, or show forth good works, if we don't do it in faith. "Without faith it is impossible to please him."

So, the question we were trying to answer at the beginning is - How do we receive grace? And the answer is through faith and works. Neither faith alone nor works alone save us. They must occur together in order for us to qualify for spiritual redemption. We are here on earth to prove to God that we will follow him in faith, and we prove our faith to him by bringing forth good works. The greatness or quantity of the good works is completely immaterial. The only good works that really matter is that we keep the commandments given us by God. Keeping the commandments is the physical proof of faith necessary to receive the grace of God, which is given to us through the redeeming atonement of Jesus Christ.

The importance of group scripture study

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about scripture study. About how important it is in our lives. The scriptures can be a spiritual lifeline to our glorious Creator, keeping us close to His will for us, and helping us feel His love for us on a daily basis. The scriptures can bring answers to life's toughest questions, give us peace and comfort in our hearts, and bring the spirit of the Lord into our homes and families. 

In the LDS church there is a lot of emphasis placed on individual and family scripture study, but nothing is said about group scripture study. They do encourage youth and young adults to attend seminary and institute classes, but there aren't any instructions or guidelines for the rest of us who want to pursue group scripture study. Most other Christian churches and many of their members hold bible study groups, and there are even websites dedicated to group bible study. I know some members of my ward who have joined bible study groups hosted by non-LDS neighbors or coworkers, and they truly enjoy the discussions and insights.

I feel that studying the scriptures with others can be so helpful - we can share our own insights and testimonies and experiences, bolstering each other in our faith and devotion to Jesus Christ. Sunday School can help fill this need, but so many times the teacher has to breeze through material and pass up class members' comments just so they can get through the entire lesson in their manual. Most of the class members haven't read the material in advance, so the few people who have prepared for class are the only ones sharing insightful comments. And if you've attended Sunday School for several years, you find yourself discussing the same lessons over and over.

I find myself wanting to talk about the scriptures with others who share a belief in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and the Book of Mormon. I want to encourage my fellow sisters in Christ to study daily and share what they have read and felt with others. I feel there can be so much gained from group study like this.

Has anyone else out there felt this desire too? What have you done to pursue these desires?

For Your Good

"Search diligently, pray always, and be believing, and all things shall work together for your good, if ye walk uprightly and remember the covenant wherewith ye have covenanted one with another."

— Doctrine & Covenants 90:24

We've all had one of those days, when nothing seems to go right. You feel like you're running with your head cut off, rushing from one emergency to another, trying to put out all the little fires around you that just keep popping up. When will it all stop?

These are the moments when we ask ourselves - Does God still know I'm here? Where are the blessings He promised? Is what I'm doing even making a difference?

Well, I'm here to tell you that you DO make a difference. You are a child of God, his literal spiritual offspring, and he has not left us alone. He is watching over us day and night, making all things work together for our good. 

What good? you may ask. What good can come of what I am going through?

When Joseph Smith was trapped in Liberty Jail, in the most depraved conditions, he ask God these same questions. And this was the answer he received:

"...If the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good. The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?"

– Doctrine & Covenants 122:7-8

Don't give up. Hold onto hope. To Faith. To determination. It is always darkest before the dawn. But we have received a promise from our loving Heavenly Father that if we are diligent and faithful to our covenants, he will be faithful to us. 

It will all work out.

Order or Chaos?

"Set in order your houses; keep slothfulness and uncleanness far from you."

— Doctrine & Covenants 90:18

This verse is one of my husband's main themes in life. He loves to have a clean house. He says when the house is clean, then he can truly relax. And isn't that true for everyone? When things are clean, organized, and put in their place, the house feels so much more comfortable to be in. Truly, when the house is in order, the spirit of the Lord can come and dwell with us.

Our Heavenly Father is a God of Order, not a God of Chaos. He cannot dwell in uncleanness. That can be taken literally, as well as spiritually. Where there is dirt and clutter, it is hard to be comfortable, let alone feel the spirit of the Lord.

Does the God of Order dwell in your home? Or the God of Chaos? Life can be very challenging, especially when you have little ones at home. I myself am far from perfect. But it is important to instill in our families the importance of having a clean home, so we can feel the peace that comes with cleanliness. And where there is peace there is God.

I challenge you to look at your home this week with new eyes – are things in order, or is your home ruled by chaos? Choose one thing to set in order, and set a goal to be consistent with it throughout the week. Tell your family about your goal. Get them involved. Through God's help and grace your home can become a haven of peace and order.

Sing For Joy!

"For it shall come to pass in that day, that every man shall hear the fulness of the gospel in his own tongue, and in his own language, through those who are ordained unto this power, by the administration of the Comforter, shed forth upon them for the revelation of Jesus Christ."

— Doctrine & Covenants 90:11

Church sisters in Africa

I am so happy that I live in a day to see this revelation be fulfilled. Today, the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is alive in well in almost the entire world. According to a post on LDS Church Growth, in 2011 there were only 41 countries and territories in the ENTIRE world that did not have a church presence there. The Holy Bible has been translated into nearly 200 languages. As of 2009, the Book of Mormon has been translated into 89 languages, and selections of it translated into another 26 languages. During General Conference, the meetings are available in nearly 100 languages and dialects.

What an amazing time this is, when the gospel of Jesus Christ floods the earth! In the words of Thomas S. Monson – "How grateful we are that the heavens are indeed open, that the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored, and that the Church is founded on the rock of revelation. We are a blessed people, with apostles and prophets upon the earth today." 

It makes me want to sing for joy!

The Light of Christ

"For the word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ. And the Spirit giveth light to every man that cometh into the world; and the Spirit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit. And every one that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit cometh unto God, even the Father."

— Doctrine & Covenants 84:45-47

I have been thinking lately about light - specifically the light of the sun. Have you ever thought about how utterly dependent life on this planet is on the sun? Without the sun's light, plants couldn't grow through photosynthesis. Animals wouldn't have food to eat, and humans wouldn't have food through plants or animals. Without the sun's light and heat, all life would quickly perish in bitter cold and darkness. Without the sun, the water cycle couldn't exist, because evaporation and condensation wouldn't be possible. And these are just a few basic processes I can name. Think of all that's possible because of sunlight!

Can we compare this dependency to the light of Christ? The scriptures teach that "the Spirit giveth light to every man that cometh into the world." What kind of light is this? How are we dependent upon it?

Doctrine & Covenants 93:36 says "The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth." If we replace the word light in the verse above with the word intelligence, it would read, "the Spirit giveth intelligence to every man that cometh into the world."

How dependent is man on his intelligence? Well, that's pretty obvious, isn't it? It's like asking how dependent are we on oxygen. Man is nothing without his intelligence. We would literally be back in our caves, with no fire, no wheels, no clothes, no language, no nothing. And if all intelligence comes from God, it is logical to say man is nothing without God!

"The Spirit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit."

If God has given us intelligence, then why do we need enlightenment through his Spirit? I like to compare man's intelligence to a flashlight shining in the dark. Everyone has a different flashlight - some shine brightly and some are dim. Some can show a large area around you, and some just show a small spot on the ground. But you cannot illuminate the entire world around you with just your flashlight. You need the sun to do that. 

So it is with the light of Christ. His glory is like the sun shining down on our lives, illuminating important and fundamental truths that we would be lost without. Just like the sun warms the earth and makes things grow, Christ's Spirit warms and fills our soul, teaching us and helping us grow more like him. Our own little "flashlights" of intelligence can't do that.

We may feel fairly confident in our own intelligence, but we have to recognize that it came from God. Not only that, he offers us so much more light and truth in our lives, but only if we hearken to the voice of his Spirit. If we willingly turn away from the light of Christ, he will not force us back towards him. It is completely up to us who or what we choose to follow in this life.

I encourage you to choose today to follow the light of Christ in your life. He sees your life in ways you cannot imagine, and when you come to him he will illuminate your life in glorious ways.

It Maketh My Bones To Quake

Hello again, everyone in the blogosphere! I have been taking an extended blogging vacation, and I now feel ready to come back. I am amazed and humbled at the number of people who have still been following this blog even while I've been away. Truly, the Lord's hand is in this work. 

I have prayed that this blog will be an instrument in His hands as I share the gospel with the world. I hope that as each of you read my entries, your hearts will be pricked with the spirit of the Lord, and you will be spurred on in finding the truth of the gospel in your lives.

And now for today's scripture:

"Yea, thus saith the still small voice, which whispereth through and pierceth all things, and often times it maketh my bones to quake while it maketh manifest."

— Doctrine & Covenants 85:6

The Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead. His mission is to testify of truth. He witnesses of the truth of the restored gospel and of the divinity of Jesus Christ as our Savior and Redeemer. He will witness to our hearts and minds that these things are true. This is called personal revelation.

But what does this personal revelation feel like? How do you know when you have received it? 

In 1 Kings chapter 19, the prophet Elijah went up to the mountains to converse with the Lord. What did this conversation sound like?

"And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice."

— 1 Kings 19:11-12

In my personal experience, the Holy Ghost speaks to me in my mind, giving me thoughts and ideas that I know are not my own. As I study out these thoughts and find they are full of goodness and truth, I get a warm feeling throughout my body. I have learned to NEVER ignore these thoughts and promptings, because they are from God. If I ask God for answers, but then choose to ignore them, why should God continue to speak to me?

Listen for this still, small voice in your life. It will come to you when you are seeking His light in your life. It will come to you as you seek answer to prayer, or when you study your scriptures. Sometimes it will come out of the blue, but it is usually a quiet thought that comes to your mind. Always give heed to it and it will never lead you astray!

Remember the Sabbath

"And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day; For verily this is a day appointed unto you to rest from your labors, and to pay thy devotions unto the Most High."

— Doctrine & Covenants 59:9-10

How many of us truly keep the Sabbath day holy? Do we even know what that means anymore? 

When the children of Israel were delivered from Egypt, the Lord God gave them this commandment concerning the Sabbath day —

"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates."

— Exodus 20:8-10

Many may think, "I keep the Sabbath day holy because I go to church." But what about after you go to church? Do you go shopping? Do you go out to eat with family? Do you go watch or participate in sports events? Do you spend your day online or watching TV programs?

Which of these activities worships the Lord? The answer is none of them. The Sabbath was made so we can spend our time worshipping the Lord, learning His gospel, and serving others. It is not a day to spend working, inside or outside our homes, and it is not a day to make others work for us. 

Think of the store employees where you shop on Sunday. Think of the waiter at the restaurant where you have Sunday brunch. They cannot keep the Sabbath day holy because they have to work for YOU. In a way, you are turning them into your manservant or maidservant the Lord spoke of.

I could spend all day listing do's and don'ts for appropriate Sabbath activity. But in reality, all any of us has to do is answer one simple question — Do my Sabbath activities help me and others think of and worship God?

Spencer W. Kimball said, "Sometimes Sabbath observance is characterized as a matter of sacrifice and self-denial, but it is not so. It is merely a matter of scheduling and choosing seasons. There is time enough, particularly in our era of the world’s history, during the six days of the week in which to do our work and play. Much can be done to organize and encourage weekday activities, avoiding the Sabbath."

"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven."

— Ecclesiastes 3:1

There is a time and season to do everything. The Sabbath day is the "season" of worship and service. Everything else can be done the rest of the week. The Sabbath day is a gift from God for us to rest and rejuvenate our bodies and spirits. Take this opportunity to accept God's gift and use it as it was meant to be.

Sweet and Simple Thursday

Come Unto Christ Through Repentance

"Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more. By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins — behold, he will confess them and forsake them."

— Doctrine & Covenants 58:42-43

Christ made an atonement for us - he suffered for our sins in the garden of Gethsemane, he died for us on the hill called Calvary, then he was resurrected so that we might all live again. 

The Lord has said that no unclean thing can enter into the kingdom of God. We must be washed clean through the blood of Jesus Christ. How exactly do we do this? In addition to having faith in Christ, and being baptized, we must also repent of our sins. The verse above gives us the key to repentance — we must confess and forsake our sins. 

Confession is a powerful exercise in humility. To fall on our knees and confess to God our sins requires us to admit that we are not perfect, that we make mistakes, that we are not always right and we know it. We have to accept the fact that we aren't going anywhere in our progression towards salvation without Christ's atonement - His grace and mercy -  to bring us into God's presence. We must confess our wrongdoings and sincerely ask for God's forgiveness so we can be cleansed through the blood of the Lamb.

Forsaking our sins can be very difficult. After acknowledging what we did is wrong, we have to master ourselves — our tempers, our habits, our tongues, our thoughts — to overcome our sins. Again, this can only truly be done through Christ's grace and mercy. Forsaking our sins requires daily (or even hourly!) prayer, asking for God's strength and love to overcome our natural man. 

"For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father."

— Mosiah 3:19

When we are patient, humble, and meek, we can truly repent of our sins and become more like Christ. We can become clean through the blood of the Lamb and be worthy to enter His presence.

Sweet and Simple Thursday

Marriage Is Ordained Of God

"And again, verily I say unto you, that whoso forbiddeth to marry is not ordained of God, for marriage is ordained of God unto man. Wherefore, it is lawful that he should have one wife, and they twain shall be one flesh, and all this that the earth might answer to end of its creation."

— Doctrine & Covenants 49:15-16 

 Marriage is ordained of God. It is where we find the fulfillment of our creation. It is a divine crucible where we can attain Christ-like qualities better than any other place or circumstance in our lives. Marriage is the best place to learn humility, sacrifice, service, obedience to God, love for our fellow man, endurance, joy, patience..... the list goes on and on.

Marriage is the best institution where a man and woman can work together in the journey of parenthood, blessing and succoring each other as they learn and grow and watch their children do the same. Life is a tough road to walk. How happy I am that God's plan does not mean for us to walk that road alone!

I have been so fortunate and blessed to walk this road with my sweetheart for the last 14 years. It's been no picnic - there has been heartache and pain between us as well as joy and happiness, but that is part of God's plan. We will never realize and appreciate the good if we don't experience the bad. Today I thank my Father in Heaven for the blessings he has shared with me through my marriage. He has been so good to me!

With love,

Sweet and Simple Thursday

Sweet and Simple Thursday

On My Heart

For the last few days I've been stuck in my scripture reading. I have reached some verses God REALLY wants me to blog about, but for some reason I've been hesitating. So as I write this, I have a prayer in my heart that God's voice will speak through me and touch those it is meant to touch.

"And this is my gospel—repentance and baptism by water, and then cometh the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost, even the Comforter, which showeth all things, and teacheth the peaceable things of the kingdom."

— Doctrine & Covenants 39:6

Last fall I participated in a MOPS program at a local church. Most of the women in my group attend this church, but I do not. One day I asked the women in my group what the church's stand was on baptism - was it necessary or not. The group leader said the church did not hold baptism to be necessary, it was just a way to show other people that you have chosen to follow Christ. Then some women even said there was nothing in the scriptures that said baptism was necessary.

I was shocked. I couldn't believe these women had just said this. The first thing that came to my mind was Jesus's own words in the bible —

"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."

— John 3:5

That is as straightforward as you can get, and yet here were women, members of a 'bible' church, who believed the bible didn't teach the necessity of baptism.

Baptism is an ordinance. An ordinance is a physical performance showing you have made a covenant with God. All ordinances must be performed by someone having authority from God. Jesus taught not only in word, but in deed that this ordinance is necessary for EVERYONE, even Himself.

"Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness."

— Matthew 3:13-15

Even Jesus, the sinless one, had to make this covenant with God. His pure example shows us plainly that everyone, in order to follow in His footsteps, must be baptized. Jesus didn't go to just anyone to be baptized. He went to John, who had authority from God to perform this ordinance.

"Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on my name, and you shall receive my Spirit, and a blessing so great as you never have known."

— Doctrine & Covenants 39:10

On the day of Pentecost, when the apostles and disciples of Christ were filled with the spirit of the Lord, Peter also taught of the importance of baptism.

"Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."

— Acts 2:37-38

As I mentioned earlier, when you are baptized you enter into a covenant with God. A covenant is a promise between two or more parties. The covenant of baptism says that the disciple being baptized takes upon them the name of Christ, and God in turn will bless them with His spirit - specifically by giving them the gift of the Holy Ghost. This gift is also given by one having authority from God. It is a marvelous gift - to always have the Lord's spirit with you, not just when you're being good, or when you need answer to prayer, but ALWAYS.

I was baptized when I was eight years old. My father, an ordained elder in my church, baptized me and later laid his hands on my head and confirmed me with the gift of the Holy Ghost. I don't remember too much about that day (except the white jumper I was wearing was too big and the pants legs unrolled while I was in the water.) But I am thankful to my parents for teaching me in my childhood the importance of baptism and of being a disciple of Jesus Christ. This special knowledge has carried me through my life, blessing me and my family in so many ways.

With love,

Waiting to See Them Again

"For a trump shall sound both long and loud, even as upon Mount Sinai, and all the earth shall quake, and they shall come forth — yea, even the dead which died in me, to receive a crown of righteousness, and to be clothed upon, even as I am, to be with me, that we may be one."

— Doctrine & Covenants 29:13

I miss my grandmothers a lot. I often think about them and wish I could see them again. They both passed away when I was newly married. I thought I knew them pretty well, but only as a child does. I now realize there are so many things I wish I knew about them as women. Like how they raised their children, and how they worked day by day to keep their marriages strong. How did they find the strength to battle their daily struggles?

I am so happy that I will see them again one day. For the Lord has given everyone a special gift — the resurrection. Through His loving grace and mercy, EVERYONE will be resurrected one day, both the good and the bad. This is a gift we don't have to choose to accept. It is ours forever. We will all be raised again and be reunited with our Lord and Savior, and with our loved ones.

I personally cannot wait for that day!

With love,

Sweet and Simple Thursday Link Up Party

In Remembrance

I had just set a new goal to get up early and exercise. I had found an aerobics show on cable that I liked, and I was working hard at dragging myself out of bed in time for the show.

So this particular morning started out like the rest - sleepy walk into my daughter's room, pull her out of her crib, go into the kitchen to get her bottle, then set her down on the floor as I turn on the TV.

But that's when things changed.

The first thing that greeted me on the TV screen was the twin towers in New York, with smoke billowing from the tops. I remember being very confused, thinking "Are they talking about a new action movie??" But no, this was real and happening right now.

I pulled my daughter up into my lap and just held onto her as my eyes were glued to the screen. Eventually I called my mother, who was sleeping in and couldn't figure out what I was talking about. Then I called my sister. She was also glued to her TV, and we both sat there with the phone to our ears, not saying much, just watching.

I remember the grief I felt that week. I truly felt like someone I knew had died. I was depressed. I couldn't think of anything else. I remember taking my daughter to the playground that afternoon and watching the sky - it was so empty. A few days later I sat on my front step, lit a candle and sang a hymn. My husband sat with me.

Last year for this anniversary, I pulled up the youtube videos and watched them. My children (except for my oldest) had never seen them, and they were as shocked to watch them as I was that first day.

So many memories. So much sadness. I will never forget.

Choose For Yourself (SAST Link Up)

A man went grocery shopping, and wanted to buy some soup. He found two different brands that both looked good, but he only needed one can of soup. Which one should he buy? He read the labels and studied the ingredients. He compared the prices. They both looked good, and the man couldn't make up his mind. So the man prayed about it. Which can of soup would God have me buy? After prayer, the man felt he had received an answer, put one can of soup in his cart, and went to make his purchase.

Some may say, "Wow, what a spiritual man! He even prays over what food he will buy." But in fact the man in this story has forgotten the blessing God has given us to choose for ourselves.

"For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward. Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness. For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward."

— Doctrine & Covenants 58:26-28

God has given everyone the divine gift to choose for themselves the path they will take, and he will never take that gift away from us. In the Old Testament, the prophet Joshua said, "Choose you this day whom ye will serve" (Joshua 24:15). Sometimes our choices are between good and evil, and sometimes our choices are between good and good. Sometimes it doesn't matter to God which choice we make -- "Should I wear my red socks or my blue ones? Should I buy the chicken soup or the tomato?" 

Don't get me wrong - there are some choices that take a lot of study and prayer, but do not feel you must be directed in every single choice you make. If you are studying God's word daily, praying daily, and always looking for the opportunity to do good, you will not be led astray. Be confident in the gifts God has given you of free will, and show Him you are confident and capable of choosing the right. Have faith in yourself!

With love,

Jean

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Seek This Jesus

"And now, I would commend you to 

Seek This Jesus 

of whom the Prophets and Apostles have written, 

that the grace of 

God the Father, 

and also the Lord Jesus Christ, 

and the Holy Ghost, 

which beareth record of them, 

may be and abide in you forever. Amen."

— Ether 12:41